


Twenty-nine Days, Ten hours, Thirteen Minutes

by Pikachu203



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Fluff, M/M, originshipping, warning: kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 14:44:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6012067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pikachu203/pseuds/Pikachu203
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the one Steven loves most disappears, how far will he go to find him?  Valentines gift for @yukatagirl!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twenty-nine Days, Ten hours, Thirteen Minutes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yukatagirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukatagirl/gifts).



I stepped out onto the surface, squinting into the sunlight.  It had been nearly three days since I entered the cave, so it took time for my eyes to adjust to the brightness.  Instead of lifting my head, I shaded my eyes with one hand, and fumbled around with my pokenav with the other.  There were three unread messages, far fewer than usual.  I glanced across the caller ids, and my brow furrowed with confusion.

_Where is it?_

There were no missed calls, messages, or voicemails from him.  I wondered if he’d forgotten I’d be returning tonight.  In that case, I’d have to give him a call.

I dialed his number and let the phone ring.  It chimed seven times before his voicemail cheerily sounded, “Hello, this is Wallace.  I’m sorry I can’t answer the phone right now, but if you leave your name and number, I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible.  Have a lovely day!”

_Beep!_

I hung up without leaving a message.  That was… odd…  Wallace always picked up his phone, no matter what.  Even if I called him early in the morning or during a battle, he would – admittedly begrudgingly – find the time to answer it.

I brushed sweat of my brow, shaking my head to try and alleviate my worry before it got out of hand…

_He’s fine…  Maybe he’s off in a contest and can’t answer, or maybe he’s not feeling well._

 I shook the dust off of my shoulders, and let skarmory out.  I had not been expecting to return home before I got cleaned up, but I had to get the nagging worry out of my mind.

  _He’s fine…  Nothing’s wrong…_

 ...

 _But what if something_ _is_ _wrong?  What if he’s in danger, or hurt, or-_

My thoughts were cut off by skarmory letting out an unpleasant squawk.  I slowed our pace, “Sorry…  That was too fast…” 

I patted her back, trying to calm her.  We were going far slower now, unfortunately…   I wanted, more than anything else, to be home quickly.  It took longer than I wished to reach our house, and my heart dropped as I did.

There were several police cars parked in front…

_No..._

I hopped off skarmory several feet off the ground, stumbling, and scraping my hands and knees.  I ignored the pain, and didn’t bother putting skarmory back in her pokeball.  Instead, I rushed into our home, looking around frantically, “Wallace!?”

Instead of my boyfriend - with his usual smile and cheery embrace - I was greeted by a severe detective, “Ah, so you must be Mr. Stone…  Is it true that the two of you were dating prior to Wallace’s disappearance?”  

_Disappearance…_

I fell to my knees, exhaustion and confusion striking me, but managed to nod weakly.  

A sea of questions overtook my mind:

_Where is he?  Is he alright?  Was he taken, if so by whom?  Where is he?  Who took my Wallace away…?_

I was dragged from my worries by the detective lifting me up, “I apologize for your loss…  You seem quite distraught.”

“No…  Wallace…”

I could hardly articulate the rush of emotion that struck me, and nearly collapsed, sobbing.  My breathing was shallow; I could hear my heart pounding in my ears…  I felt tears streaming down my face as he spoke again, “I see…  I'm deeply sorry…  Though, perhaps you could help us find him.  Would you lend us your aid in our investigation?”

I nodded, hoping that maybe we could find a clue, anything that could lead us to him.  I wanted nothing more than to find him quickly.

I wiped my eyes, new determination rushing through me.  There had to be something…

The detective’s brow furrowed as he led me to the study.  Everything in the house was orderly, as was Wallace’s desk, as I’d expected.  There was nearly nothing out of place, save one half written letter.  

_Oh…  Oh no..._

I rushed over to the desk, nearly slipping on something on my way, and read the note rapidly.  It was written in Wallace’s usual neat handwriting.  I lifted it - not caring if the investigation wanted me to leave it untouched:

_Dear Steven,_

_Oh, sweetie, I am so excited to see you again.  There is been quite a bit going on here lately…  I can only hope you will return home soon, I want to tell you about_

The letter stopped in the middle of a sentence, without any particular flourish.  There was no scratched out line from the last t marring the page, no strange markings across it, no deep bloodstains (thank arceus for that…),  and no signs of a struggle in the room.  Well, the only one was his pen, which was curiously lying in the middle of the room, though again it appeared perfectly normal.  There were no cracks, markings, or stains on the pen; it was just lying there…

The detective spoke up again, “ I must ask you to put that note back,” I complied, though my curiosity had only risen further after reading it, “Now then…  I should let you know, I’m a detective.  I was called in when Champion Wallace was announced missing.  Unfortunately, we’ve found no clues as to where he is.  I should ask you…  You two have been dating for quite some time, correct?  You didn’t have any… arguments with him recently, have you?  Has there been any unrest in your relationship?”

I realized immediately what he was implying, and it felt as if there was bile burning in the back of my throat.  How could he even suggest I’d do this?  

I managed to contain my rage, and steel myself to answer him, “Wallace and I have always had a very loving relationship.  He’s been very supportive of my travels.  Besides, I…” I sifted around in the hidden pocket of my jacket for one of two special things I had there, and pulled it out, “I was planning on proposing to him when I got home from this trip…”

I opened the box carefully, showing the detective the lovely ring inside.  I had worked for quite some time to find the perfect gemstones, cut, and setting, though looking at it now only made my heart sink.  

The detective nodded solemnly, before questioning me again, “So, you’ve been out of the region until just now…  What made you come back so quickly?”

I managed to keep my tone steady, though my voice was still shaky from my tears, “I…  I was out caving, and Wallace always sends me a message the day I return.  I tried calling him when I didn’t find one, but he… he didn’t pick up the phone.  That’s when I became worried…  I was horrified something had happened to him, so I hurried home.  It seems I was right to be worried.”

It was becoming harder to stop myself from crying again, but I managed to maintain my composure as he glanced over me, as if he was trying to tell if I was lying.  He finally stared into my eyes; his still held an accusatory glint, so I responded with a steely glare.  

He opened his mouth, as if to speak again, but was cut off by another officer running in, “Sir, we found something strange…”

He handed the man a small vial, which contained something deep yellow and sparkling.  While the detective seemed confused by it, it immediately caught my eye, “Ah!  May I see that?”

He looked at me suspiciously, “Why?  Do you know something about this dust, then?  I highly doubt it.”

I ignored his haughty attitude, finding Wallace was far more important, and I could use any clues I could get, “Well, I am a geologist of sorts, and looks to be some kind of mineral to me.”

He glanced at his colleague, then back at me, before begrudgingly handing it to me.  I took a long look at the small flecks, and could only wonder why they were here, who had left them, and where they had come from…  “Well, this looks like gold to me…  I don’t know why it would be lying out of place though.  Could you show me where you found this, please?”

The officer nodded, and led me - bizarrely enough - to the backyard, where a small line of the dust was laying in the grass, sparkling unnaturally in the deep red sunlight.  Aside from the pen, it was the only thing out of place.  I was stumped on where Wallace had gone, or what had occurred here.  I stared up at the sky, as if the mysterious gold dropper was still there, but it was no use.

There was no one here, and my Wallace was gone.

* * *

_Twenty-nine days, ten hours, thirteen minutes…_

That’s how long it’d been since Wallace vanished.  By that point, everyone had theories, certainly, but many had given up on finding him.  

The first few days after his disappearance, the news was everywhere.  All stations in Hoenn were repeatedly announcing the mysterious incident for at least a week, nearly two.  The region was in mourning for about the same time.  People had left letters, pictures, plushies, flowers, contest ribbons, and candles burning in our yard.  There were crying fans and conspiracy theorists crowding the newsrooms, either begging for Wallace’s safe return or touting how aliens, Devon, Unova, Sinnoh, or I were secretly behind this, and how we all deserved to be punished…

However, the event that stood out most prominently in my mind was the candlelight vigil Sootopolis had held.  It was incredible to watch…  The entire city seemed to come as close to the shore as the white cliffs and rough shores allowed.  There they released the tiny white boats, each which carried a single small candle.  The little lights illuminated the deep lagoon, and painted the white rocks of the city a deep pink.  How dazzling they were, as if the stars themselves had dipped down to paint the lagoon, and those gathered around it.

Though, even somewhere so lovely, the deep shadows cast by the lights seemed a grim reminder of the memorial’s true nature…

I remember being told a few days ago, that should he never be found, they would hold the ritual yearly, in remembrance of a great guardian.  

I couldn’t accept this.  I couldn’t accept any of it.  I couldn’t accept the burnt out candles, the wilted flowers, the cardboard memorials made soggy by the rain, or the insistence that the one I held most dear was dead.

Wallace couldn’t be dead…  He just couldn’t…

Unfortunately, I was nowhere closer to finding him than the day he’d first disappeared.  The mysterious substance outside of his house was gold, but there were no known kidnappers or killers who left gold as a calling card, and no reason for it to lie out there.  

Well, that wasn’t true…

I could only think of two reasons why gold might be lying in his yard.  It could simply be a red herring, to throw us off from any real clues left behind, or it could be an attempt to frame me.  After all, there was only one person he was close to who would conceivably have something so valuable on his person…

No…  It…  It was all too telegraphed for that, too obvious…  If they wanted to frame me, they could have done a far more convincing job…   What if I-

My thoughts were cut off as I managed to walk into a tree…  I groaned, stumbling a few steps back, and rubbing my forehead.  That was certainly going to bruise…

As I stood back, I noticed something…  It was merely a glimmer in the corner of my eye, and had it not been for the mysterious gold from before, I would have disregarded it entirely.  

Instead, I found myself rushing towards it, ducking beneath branches, and scratching my arms on twigs and brush…  It had to be real… I couldn’t have just imagined it.  I still held some vain hope that it might lead me to Wallace…

I rushed forward into a bright clearing.  

I found myself again squinting in the sunlight, and blinking repeatedly, as if I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.   

In the middle of a clearing sat what almost looked like a black portal, rimmed in pure gold.  I nearly fell to my knees at the sight of it, but managed to keep my composure, and instead walked towards it.  

It was impossible to see anything in the depths of the portal, aside from perhaps my own reflection.  I tentatively reached out my hand, and found I could easily press it through.  It was like a mirage more than an object.

Before I had time to ponder the existence of the portal in front of me, something roughly gripped my hand from the other side, and pulled me through the darkness.  Before I could get a good glimpse of who had grabbed me, my head slammed into a hard floor, and my conscious faded.

* * *

I awoke in a dark room, my arms and legs bound by an odd beam of light.  I struggled against it, and the more I pulled, the more leeway I had…  though, perhaps that was a secret I should keep to myself, as I noticed someone else in the room, sitting across from me, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Stone…”

I tried to calm myself, though I my voice still wobbled as I spoke, “Who…  Who are you?  How do you know my name?”

I managed to capture more information about her voice now…  She was a woman, clearly, sitting in the darkness, far across the room.  She laughed at my inquiry, “Oh that’s silly, you’re famous, even in this universe…  Besides…  Wallace talks about you all of the time.”

_Wallace…_

My blood was boiling, and I struggled more violently against my shackles, bruising my wrists in the process…

She chuckled, “Don’t bother trying to escape…  We’ve taken all of your pokemon anyway…” she was wrong, there was still my pocket if I could just reach it, “and those chains…  Oh, well, I suppose I should explain.  It’s only ethical to tell a human the nature of the experiment you’ll subjecting them to, after all,” she took a breath, preparing to explain. “Now then…  You, and your precious Wallace are here for a rather specific reason.  You see, a long time ago, a man from Kalos developed something referred to as the ultimate weapon, which ran on the life energy of pokemon…”

She stopped, as if to observe me at this point.  I had never heard of such a legend, let alone of someone utilizing the life energy of pokemon for something so… heinous… She continued her speech, “Well, you wouldn’t know that.  You see, dear, the difference between your universe and mine, is that in yours this power was never discovered.  Fortunately for us, we discovered something far more powerful than pokemon life energy…  Tell me, Steven, do you know the difference between humans and pokemon?”

I was silent.  I wasn’t quite sure where she was going with this, though if it was anything like what I was imagining, I needed to get out of here faster.  I struggled again, but she continued to speak as if I wasn’t moving, “Humans are more powerful in that regard…  A determined enough human could give off enough energy to fuel the entire world…  And with the help of our little machine…  we could make a human live forever.  Don’t you see the opportunity we’ve discovered?  We just had to try it out, to use a human…  We chose him from your world instead of ours, so no one would ever notice he’d disappeared.  Oh, speaking of which, before I forget, I’ll make you the same as we made your little boyfriend, so we can farm you forever as well.”

I could hardly believe what I was hearing…   

Before I could comprehend what she was saying, a huge surge of what felt like electricity  rushed through me, and I let out a scream…   The feeling continued for nearly a minute before it ceased, and I resumed my futile struggle…  

She only seemed more amused by my hopeless attempts to escape, “You see, there’s one issue with this.  If someone loses hope, their life force becomes quite weak, even if they are immortal as you two are… Unfortunately for us, humans are social creatures…  Wallace’s sanity couldn’t last long in solitary confinement.  So, what better way to continue our studies on him than to bring his boyfriend to keep him company.  Don’t worry…  You two will be doing the world a wonderful service!"

I angrily struggled further, nearly reaching my pocket.  I wanted to escape, to find Wallace, and get out of here…  I felt my blood boiling in frustration and anger…  

She ignored me, and continued, “Speaking of which, those lovely restraints were made from your boyfriend’s energy…  I thought it would be delightful…”

I tried to ignore her, to push her out, to reach my pocket…  She finally caught me, and dug into my pocket, only pulling out one of the objects I had hidden there.  I prayed she wouldn’t find the other...

Again, she was laughing, holding onto the little ring box, “Oh, look at you…  Quite the romantic we have here,” she flicked it aside,” but you won’t be needing that anymore, will you?”

I managed, finally, to reach the pokeball in my pocket, and release metagross.  It slammed down, knocking that awful woman away.  I quickly ordered, “Metagross, get me free.”

I was out quickly.  I managed to pick up the ring box, shoving it back in my pocket.  

I crossed the room to the startled woman, glaring at her.  I tugged her off of the ground, and glared into her eyes, “Where is he?  Where is Wallace?”

She seemed terrified that I might kill her; she was shaking like a leaf…  She was right to be afraid.  It took everything in my power to stop myself from harming her.  Seems that her bark was far worse than her bite, as she mumbled, “Three doors down, to the left… Pokemon next door…”

I dropped her, not caring how she fell, and ran to metagross, ordering it to bust through the door with hammer arm.   The door, and some of the wall about it, shattered as if it were made of glass.  I rushed down the hall, and knocked on the door frantically, “Wallace, stand back!  I’m getting you out of here.”

I again shouted, “Metagross, meteor mash!”

The door gave way easily, collapsing to the floor.  I rushed into the room.   

It was far smaller than mine, with no windows, and only a simple bed with a stuffed feebas for company…

My precious Wallace was sitting with his knees curled to his chest, and his eyes wide.  I rushed to him, lifting him into my arms, “Oh… Wallace…”

He returned my embrace shakily, and sobbed into my shoulder, “Steven…  Are you real?”

“Yes,” I whispered, running a hand through his hair, and only now realizing how tangled it was, along with how light he’d become, “I’m here to take you home... “

I shifted him so our foreheads were pressed together.  He was crying messily, but I couldn’t help but feel wonderful and relieved holding him.  I kissed him lovingly.  It was bittersweet, his tears trapped between our lips.  

I realized how hard it must have been for him to breathe like that, and released him.  

He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, “Steven… I love you…  I love you so much!”

“I love you too…  Now, let’s get you out of here,” I paused, picking up the feebas plushie and handing it to him, “Here, hold onto this and metagross for the rest of the way, alright?  We can talk more as soon as we’re safe.”  

I was smiling brightly as I held him, and it only widened as he returned the gesture and nodded, “Steven…  I’m so happy…  I thought I would never see you again.”

I placed him carefully atop metagross, ensuring he was holding on tightly, before breaking into the room next door.  Just as she’d said, there were two sets of pokeballs, and two bags atop a table there.  I quickly ensured they were ours and grabbed them.

It was only then that unease struck me through the adrenaline rush that had been driving me forward for the past few minutes.  This all seemed too easy…  I…  I needed to get us home now.  

I checked all of the pokeballs, and found something unfamiliar in the twelfth one.  I had no idea why it was here, but… those rings it had looked just like the ones that had transported us here.  It seemed surprised to see me…

I heard shouting from down the hall to find us, and begged the pokemon to bring us home.  It refused.  I frantically tried to offer it a handful of pokeblocks, praying it would listen to me before we were caught.

The pokemon seemed happy with this, and opened a portal.  I grabbed the little thing, and rushed our group through.  

I shoved more pokeblocks to the pokemon, and it closed the portal before anyone else followed us.

The rush faded as I realized we were safe, back in the clearing I’d entered from.  

I was shaking terribly, and fell to my knees.  The moon shone down on us, and I realized we were safe…  

I gave our new pokemon another handful of pokeblocks, before putting it back in it’s pokeball.  I had no idea what it was.  In all of my travels, I’d never seen anything quite like it.  I’d have to look into it more when I could.  For now, something more pressing had my attention.

Wallace was laying across metagross’s back his legs swinging loosely from the edge, and his hands dangling, “I…  I never realized how beautiful the stars could be.”

I sighed in relief, and approached him, sliding my hand into his, “They are lovely…  all the more so now that I’m watching them with you.”

His eyes widened, and he looked down at me.  They were sparkling in the starlight, and their deep blue depths reminded me of the vigil we’d held for him.  It was so fortunate to even see him again…

Wallace asked, “Steven… Are you real?”

“Of course I am,” I reassured, gently brushing my hands through his long, tangled hair.

He leaned down, kissing me, “I love you…”  

I whispered, “I love you too…”  

He stared up again at the stars, “How long…  How long have I been gone, Steven?”

I thought for a moment, and remembered how closely I’d kept track of time since he’d been kidnapped, “It’s been nearly a month…”

“A month…  It’s odd…  It felt so much longer.  It’s difficult to keep track of time without sunlight…”

I felt him shivering in the cold, and carefully pulled him down.  He stood shakily, stumbling a bit.  

I was about to give him my jacket, when I realized what still remained there.  Instead, I knelt before him, and slipped my hand in my pocket, “Steven…?  Are you alright?”

I took a deep breath, gazing up at him in the moonlight, “Wallace…  There’s something that - even before you disappeared - I’ve been wanting to ask you,” I slipped my hand into my pocket, pulling out my ring, which was fortunately still intact after it’s earlier fall, “I…  I love you with all of my heart, and I want nothing more than to make you happy for the rest of your days.  Wallace, please… Would you marry me?”

I wasn’t given an answer…  Instead, Wallace hugged me too tightly, sobbing.  I returned his hug worriedly, and he finally whispered in my ear, “Yes…”

I pulled back, and slipped the ring onto Wallace’s finger.  He seemed almost entranced by it…

I kissed him again, holding his waist.  He kissed me back, and I could feel him crying.  Though, I felt wonderful.  I lifted  Wallace into my arms happily, smiling at my new fiance, “Listen, sweetheart, let’s get you home.  We can get you cleaned up, and take good care of you., okay?”

Wallace nodded, cuddling close to me, “Thank you, Steven…”

I carried him home, relishing in his presence and the moonlight.

* * *

 Wallace was in the bath for quite a while, as I’d expected…  He deserved the rest…  While he was pampering himself, I sat in the living room, and ordered food from several different restaurants.  I wanted to get as many cuisines as I could, so Wallace could experience something lovely again.  I wanted nothing more than to see him smile.

After ordering our food, I glanced up at the clock, noticing he’d been in there for nearly an hour.  I went to go knock on the door, but paused when I heard him.  

Wallace was singing…  It wasn’t a language I recognized, but his voice was as light and beautiful as I’d remembered it being…  I found myself entranced by his sweet song, as if he were a siren, enticing me to him.  

I wasn’t sure how long I sat there, listening to him sing, but he eventually opened the door, and I nearly fell into him.  He laughed, looking down at me, “What are you doing down there?”

I couldn’t help but smile up at my sweetheart, “Oh, I was just admiring your lovely voice.”

He shook his head, pulling me up with some effort.  He was wearing oversized, fluffy pajamas, which only emphasized how much weight he’d lost in the last month.  My brow furrowed, and I was about to comment on it when the doorbell chimed.

I ran to the door, and grabbed our dinner, before placing it out on the living room table.  

I glanced over at Wallace, and noticed that even after his bath, his hair was tangled…  I gestured for him to join me on the couch.  He sat with me, I wrapped him in a warm blanket, and I slowly brushed his hair.  The tangles were rough, and I felt him wince as I tugged the knots away.  It took quite some time to brush the mess away, but soon his hair was smooth, if not a tad frizzy.  I smiled softly, and turned him around.

His expression was so peaceful.  His eyes were half lidded and they seemed to sparkle in the low light.  He returned my smile genuinely, before hugging me close.  I chuckled softly, “Would you like something to eat, dearest?  You must be starving…”

I felt how thin his frame had become under his loose clothes, and again I felt guilty…  I would never let anyone hurt him again.  I felt him moving, his arms lifting away from me.  Curiously, I asked, “Are you alright?”

He nodded against my shoulder, and added, “Oh, Steven…  I love you so much, and I…  I can't stop staring at this ring.  It's so gorgeous…  Did you mine these stones yourself?”

I chuckled, my worries again relieved by his cheeriness.  I was so happy to see how well he was bouncing back from this experience.  I pulled him out of the hug, holding his hand in mine, “Ah yes,” I kissed it gently, “I did.  It took a long time…  It's set in white gold, and the main stone is a deep blue diamond, though there are little white diamonds and some iolite inset along the sides.  I wanted to find gemstones in colors you love for it, so those seemed best to me.  You’ll find it rather sturdy; diamonds are the-” I cut myself off, realizing how long I had been speaking. “Sorry… I'm rambling again.”

I looked up at him, surprised to see his usual brilliant smile, and his eyes sparkling brightly, “Are you joking?  I missed hearing you talk about your passions,” he cupped my cheeks, “I missed everything about you…”

He kissed me sweetly, and I reciprocated the gesture, entangling my fingers in his lovely hair.  He tasted like minty toothpaste, but I hardly minded that…  This close I could smell the lavender soap he loved so much, and oh…  Everything - after all the time he’d been gone - felt so real and normal…  

Wallace pulled back, worriedly brushing the tears away from my cheeks, “Steven, darling, are you alright?”

I nodded, “I’m just…  I’m so happy you’re here, and you’re real…”

He laughed softly, “I am, and I won’t leave you ever again.”

“Now then, why don’t you have something to eat, huh?” I asked, passing him a slice of pizza.

He took it gratefully.  The two of us ate peacefully, laughing at old comedies on the television, and trying different types of food and combinations.

I was so relieved…  Wallace seemed to be recovering quite well from his experience.  He was smiling, laughing, cheery… just like he was before…  I kissed him again, and he stood with a smile, “I’m going to put the leftovers away, alright?”  

I nodded, standing up and stretching.  The blanket slid down from my shoulders, and I noticed the little plushie sitting on the couch.  I couldn’t help but laugh at the cute little thing.  It was a small, well loved feebas toy, the one I’d found in Wallace’s cell, “By the way, I was wondering, where did you get this little guy?”

Wallace laughed, “Well, like I said earlier, I don’t remember much of my time there, but they told me my loneliness was affecting my productivity.   Before they tried to bring you to keep me company, they gave me that little one.  I’m happy you grabbed him on our way out; I have become quite attached to him.  He’s my baby feebas!”

I chuckled, lifting up the small toy, “How cute.  I have to thank him for keeping you company while I was away…”  

I hugged the feebas plush, and Wallace shook his head, giggling, “I missed how adorable you are…”

He crossed the room, putting away the food before returning, “Oh, Steven…  I…  I need to ask you something…  Are we safe here?  What if…  What if they come back for us?”

I sighed, walking to him, handing him his plush, and wrapping him in our blanket, “Don’t worry, Wallace.  I let our pokemon out to protect us, so no one will get in.  Besides…” I kissed his nose, “I will never let anyone hurt you again.”

He wrapped his arms around me, seeming satisfied with that, “I should say the same for you…  They hurt you too…  I’m so sorry.”

I lifted his chin, staring into his eyes…  He looked like he might cry, his eyes over-reflective and rimmed with tears, “Shh…  Don’t be sorry…  Compared  to what you’ve gone through, what I’m feeling is miniscule.”

Wallace shook his head, “You were still injured…”

I swept him up off of his feet, “Listen, sweetheart…  I don’t blame you in the slightest.  None of this is your fault, and I love you with all of my heart.  I don’t want you to worry about anything ever again…”

He wrapped his arms around my neck, and nodded meekly, “I love you too…”

I carried him to our room, wrapping him up in as many quilts and blankets as I could find before pulling him into my arms.  He held me close, “Thank you…  Thank you for everything.”

I smiled up at him, and kissed him gingerly, “It’s no problem, Wallace.  I’ll always be here to protect you.”

He took a deep breath, as if to steady himself, or perhaps to ensure this was real, before mumbling, “What if they do return, Steven?  What do we do then?  What if we really are going to live forever…?  How do we hide it from the rest of the world?  What about our-”

I cut him off with another kiss, but felt guilty soon after, “Sorry…  Please don’t worry.  You need to rest for now.  Tomorrow, if you’d like, we can talk over this.  Though, you’ve had a long, stressful day.   You need time to recover before we discuss such things.”

Wallace seemed satisfied with my response, and nodded, “You’re right, Steven…  Thank you.”

I smiled, and cuddled him close, “Goodnight, Wallace…”

He fell asleep in my embrace shortly after.  He seemed so peaceful like this, draped in warm blankets and his soft hair.  Again, I was reminded that this was real…  He was safe…  After nearly a month of searching, I found my love.

We would be together, forever, and I was satisfied.  I closed my eyes, gently pressing my head to Wallace’s chest, and drifting off to sleep.


End file.
